Halloween fear
by Arma Windfang
Summary: Lily has a nightmare.  Can James help cheer her up?


Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, never has, never will.

Halloween Fear

_Lily shivered in fright as the giant pumpkin moved closer to her, until she felt her back hit the wall. Six year old Lily Evans tried to scream, but found that her mouth wouldn't work. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pumpkin to take her into its giant, glowing mouth and swallow her whole. She could feel its breath on her face as it came closer and closer. She felt the slime it was exhaling hit her face and knew this was it. She would be dead soon. 'I'm too young to die!' she thought desperately, as if that would help. The mouth started to close around her…_

Lily Evan, age 17, woke up suddenly in her bed. '_It was just a dream_' she thought to herself, but that didn't stop her heart from beating like she had just run a marathon. She got out of bed, knowing that she would never be able to go back to sleep after a nightmare like that. Lily crept toward the door to her dormitory, trying not to wake her roommates. She would go down and sit by the fire in the Common Room, which always seemed to calm her down. She knew no one would be down there this late at night. As she tiptoed down the stairs, she saw the flickering of the fire light against the wall, creating eerie shadows on the wall, but already calming her down. As she neared the bottom of the stairs she saw that there was, surprisingly, someone already down there sitting in her favorite chair by the fire. '_Who would be down here this late at night?_' she thought, creeping closer to the person. The dim lighting made it hard to see who it was, but soon she was close enough to see jet black hair that stuck up every which way. Lily knew that hair. It was James Potter, who enjoyed tormenting and hexing people with no reason when he was younger, but now was actually quite cordial to everyone except Slytherins. Lily walked edged closer, hoping he was sleeping. No such luck.

"Lily?" James turned around and stared at Lily. Lily stared back, looking like a deer caught in the head lights of a car. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Lily responded. James shrugged and motioned for her to sit down next to him (it was a big chair, more like a love seat).

"Fair enough" he said, "I couldn't sleep, Halloween being tomorrow and all, you?"

"I had a nightmare" Lily said, surprised she actually told him that. She didn't generally talk to James, and when she did it was just exchanging pleasantries or discussing school work.

"Oh?" James said looking worried "What about?"

"It was nothing." Lily said, not wanting to tell James about her nightmare. He'd think it was stupid. She thought it was stupid. But then again fear, like so many other emotions, never really makes sense.

"Are you sure?" James asked. He had such a sincere expression on his face, that Lily felt compelled to tell him about it.

"You have to promise not to laugh" she said, searching his face for any hint that she couldn't trust him. She found none.

"I promise" James swore. Lily took a big breath and began her story.

"When I was six, my parents took me and my sister to a 'haunted' house for kids. It had silly stuff, like mirrors that distorted your image, people dressed like witches, ghosts, and pumpkins. Well there was this one part where you could go through a big inflatable maze, with ghosts and massive pumpkins hanging from the ceiling. I was going through it with my sister, when one of the pumpkins fell from the ceiling. It started rolling towards us, so we began to run away, but we ran into a dead end and the pumpkin kept rolling closer and closer. We couldn't find the way out, and before we knew it, the pumpkin was on top of us, pinning us to the wall. And this was a massive pumpkin. A 'ten-times-my-size' pumpkin. We tried to push it off us, but for some reason, it wouldn't budge. We started to yell at the top of our lungs, and eventually our parents came for us. That night I dreamt that I was back in the maze, and the pumpkin was about to eat me. I have this same nightmare every year. I know it's a stupid fear, but it really was scary." Lily finished and looked down, afraid that if she looked at James she would see him laughing.

"That's not stupid"

"What?" Lily said, looking up.

"That's not stupid" James repeated.

"You don't think so? Why?" Lily asked. James looked down, afraid to meet her eyes. "James look at me. Why?" She asked again.

"Because" James said, "I'm scared of birds. Don't ask me why because I'm not sure. I think it's something to do with Sirius telling me that they would attack me when we were little."

Lily stared at him. "You, afraid of something? Do my ears deceive me or did I just hear James Potter admit to being afraid of something?"

"Don't poke fun at me; you're the one who's scared of pumpkins." James retorted, mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"Psh. At least my fear is well grounded." Lily said, daring him to defy her. He did.

"Well founded? If yours is well founded, mine is stuck in cement." James said, the beginnings of a smile starting to creep up on his face.

"Not true. The cement around yours is all cracked and full of holes, while mine is perfectly smooth, with no holes or cracks" said Lily, a full-fledged smile on her face.

"Oh now really, I'm hurt Evans. Really, truly wounded" James said, also smiling.

"You'll get over it soon enough Potter" Lily said, getting up.

"I don't think I will" James said. "I think you should sit back down and make it better."

"Goodnight James" Lily said, turning around and walking away, still smiling.

"But Lily, you haven't fixed me yet!" James called after her.

"Get the birds to fix you!" Lily yelled back, halfway up the stairs.

"Oh now that was low!" James shouted, indignant.

"Good_night_ James!" Lily shouted back, laughing.

"Goodnight indeed" James said to himself, smiling.

They both slept perfectly fine the rest of the night.

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated! If you flame, please give a reason. Don't just say "I hate this story! *angry face*" Please include a reason like: "I hate this story because the story line is awful! *angry face*" Or whatever your reason may be. Thanks =)


End file.
